For those of you who love the increasingly popular “ryhthm” games, (though not too sure I like that name!) you’ll have probably already got your hands on (or have added it to your Christmas list) DJ Hero 2 which was released last week. And, you will probably know all about Novation’s Launchpad which is a new feature in the on-screen gameplay?

DJ Hero 2 is packed with loads of new features to keep us all on our toes. One of these new features is Novation’s Launchpad, which is now a feature in the on-screen gameplay. You can now pimp your turntable set-up with the Launchpad and watch as the avatars of superstar DJs including Deadmau5 and Tiesto spin their records with Launchpad in their rigs.

FreeStyleGames are the guys who make all the unique mash-ups on DJ Hero 2 using the Launchpad alongside Ableton Live to create the mixes and play with ideas

“I use the Launchpad as a creativity tool to help me sketch out some of the gameplay elements. I have set up buttons that let me record crossfading in real time, which is what the player is mimicking.”

“When I’m creating the mixes, I treat it like I’m actually DJing using the Launchpad. I come from an Ableton DJing background, so I want to keep it as dynamic as possible, and that transfers into the game.”

“We’re very excited to work with Novation on getting Launchpad into the game. We wanted to show that it’s a great tool that many people are using to make music around the world.”

A little bit about Novation Launchpad…

The Novation Launchpad is a dedicated controller to Ableton Live and perfect for DJing, performing live or working in the studio. Features include a multi-colour, 64-button grid, control modes for the Session View and Live’s mixer, two-fully programmable User Modes and dedicated scene-launch/function button. A 64-button grid may make you think that the Launchpad is a big bulky piece of hardware - it is infact very neat, compact and portable! See more features of the Novation Launchpad